This exquisite Spring Ragoût as a first course is a labour of love as not only does it feature double-peeled broad beans, peeled baby turnips and artichokes trimmed to the heart, but also properly prepared shelled peas straight from the bushes.
This delicious Spring Ragoût could also be served alongside grilled or sautéed chicken breasts or escalopes of veal or with grilled wood-fired bread for sopping up the pan juices.
Ingredients
8 cloves garlic
1 kg broad beans in pods, shelled
ice cubes
60 g unsalted butter, chopped
4 trimmed and cooked artichoke hearts (watch video), halved or quartered, depending on size
12 baby turnips, peeled
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
500 g peas in pods, shelled (to yield 160 g shelled peas)
2 teaspoons roughly chopped French tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
freshly ground black pepper
grilled wood-fired bread (optional), to serve
Method
Put garlic into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring slowly to the boil over low-medium heat, then drain. Repeat, then peel and set aside in a bowl.
Cook broad beans in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute only. Immediately drain and tip into a bowl of iced cold water. Enlist help and double-peel broad beans. Reserve until needed.
Melt 30 g of the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Once it starts to froth add artichoke pieces, turnips and peeled garlic and sauté until artichoke pieces become golden flecked with brown. Add chicken stock and peas, then cook, covered, for 5 minutes.
Uncover, scatter over broad beans and herbs and shake gently to mix; there should be very little liquid remaining in the pan. If it still looks sloppy, increase heat to high and continue to shake the pan. Add remaining butter to melt and form a small amount of sauce. Taste for seasoning; there probably won’t be any need to add salt. Grind over pepper and serve the Spring Ragoût at once, with grilled bread, if desired.
